VMI football went winless in 2017, after a pair of promising seasons in coach Scott Wachenheim’s opening two campaigns, including a 3-9 finish in 2016 that featured a pair of last-second losses and a nailbiter with No. 5 The Citadel.

Fishburne Military School helped Scott Simons by giving him a place for his non-profit youth-football program to play home games. Then Simons, the managing partner and general manager of Valley Auto Group, found a way to repay the favor.